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BARCELONA, Spain, April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Alimentaria Barcelona , one of the main food, drink and foodservice trade shows worldwide, is about to start its biggest edition in years to offer the food industry a major platform for internationalization and business and a high level of innovation, making gastronomy its differentiating factor. The event, that will take place from 16 to 19 April at Fira de Barcelona (Spain), expects to attract an increasing number of exhibiting companies from Asian countries.
With a net exhibition space of over 100,000 sq. m, the joint organization of the show with Hostelco, the International Exhibition of Equipment for Restaurants, Hotels and Mass Catering, offers both the retail and HoReCa sectors the most comprehensive offering to date. Some 4,500 exhibiting firms - some 200 coming from Asia, mainly Chinese- and more than 150,000 professional visitors are expected.
Performing a strong growth, China is the most dynamic external market for Spanish products, with EURO 1,1 billion in 2016, with an increase of 49% of the purchases, according to the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB). Pork meat, wine and olive oil are the most exported goods. On the other hand, Thailand -with EURO 72 million spent in Spanish food products- is becoming an attractive market as it experienced a growth of 36% in its purchases from Spain, especially frozen fish, fish flours and olive oil. Japan, India, South Korea and Indonesia are other Asian key markets for Alimentaria. In this edition, over 200 companies invited to visit the show through the program Hosted Buyers will come from Asia, especially from China, South Korea, Japan, Singapur and India.
Gastronomic and innovative Excellence
Boosting innovation and gastronomic quality remain two major hallmarks of Alimentaria. Consequently the show's activities are geared towards identifying the main trends and enhancing the connections between the food, gastronomic and tourist industries. In the area The Alimentaria Experience, more than 100 workshops and cooking shows will take place, with a selected group of chefs that own 45 Michelin stars (Carme Ruscalleda, Ángel León and Elena Arzak, among others), while top international wine experts such as Jancis Robinson and Nick Lander will participate in the Vinorum Think event. The area The Alimentaria Hub will become a knowledge, trends and business center, in which some 12,500 meetings between international buyers and exhibiting companies will be developed.
